5 ways to increase app downloads using social media

You’ve invested time in designing your app, troubleshooting, and testing for bugs. You’re ready to change the world, you launch it, everything is live and then…nothing. No downloads. No buzz. Nothing.

Having worked on app development, launch and promotion campaigns over the years, we have some experience of this feeling, so here are our top 5 ways to increase app downloads using social media:

1. Connect your app to a Facebook page

It will take you no time at all and greatly simplifies the process of creating adverts. If you already have a brand page you can use this existing channel to promote your app, or you can build a new community around the product.

2. Take advantage of Facebook’s developer tools

Facebook’s native analytics for developers allow you to measure installations and in-app conversions – for free. As well as providing insight into useful metrics like retention rates it also allows you to integrate features like App Invites – which allows users to send a message encouraging their friends to install, which should increase app downloads.

3. Promote your app with highly targeted advertising

Targeted adverts are especially important if your app is designed for a B2B audience, or if it occupies something of a special interest niche. On Facebook, you can achieve excellent results targeting by interests, but if your broader campaign involves content on external sites you should also consider making use of the platform’s pixel feature. It allows you take a far more granular approach to your ad audiences, creating opportunities for highly creative tailoring of content and copy.

4. Add a ‘use app’ button to your page

By editing the call-to-action button under your page’s cover photo to ‘use app’ you can direct page visitors towards either a specific section of your app (if they’ve already using it) or to the relevant store where they can go ahead and install. This is a great way to pick up organic installations and increase app downloads as you populate your channel with compelling content.

5. Could an advocate be the key to success?

If your app caters for a specific interest group you can use social to reach out to your influencers and ask if they would be willing to discuss your app with their audience. Ideally, this would take the form of a review – if the app offers them value then sharing that with their followers will create additional value. To attract their attention and develop this relationship your app, and the content you put out on your channels, will need to be well designed and effective.

Hopefully this will get you off the mark, but if you have extra tips to share, please add them as comments.